Jeep as a hunting rig?

[Alex Wheeler]

In the mountains a short wheel base bounces you to death. I had a tahoe, hated it for that reason. Would make you sick if on rough terrain.

 

[L.Sherm]

You dont want to follow full size pickup in alot of snow either a Jeep doesn't track for chit.

 

[danny]

I'm very used to the reliability of the toyota tacoma , but it's kind of big these days for a hunting truck , so i'm thinking of getting a jeep.... 2020+ for off road hunting vehicle or shooting at more remote thousand yard ranges.

The hard top seems to have enough room for rifles and gear for at least me if not one more person.

Any advice, as far as reliability or suitability for an off-road hunting/shooting vehicle ?

If you have one , how have you equipped it for those purposes ?

View attachment 1733613

The smaller the better!

Danny

 

[WV Hitman]

I used a original Ford Bronco for 25+ years. At 275,000 miles it was about done for. The new Broncos are a piece of crap. Thought it out & got a Ford Platinum Explorer. 400HP engine, 20-24 mp/gallon. Put a lift kit in it. Lots of space, very comfortable, wicked power. Put some rough tread Goodyear tires on it (normally I use BF Goodrich All Terrains on my other 4WDs, but they don't have them in 20"). Took some getting used to, but it's about as good as my original Bronco.
I always buy American.

 

[ebb]

I don't like the canvas roof and sides, they make so much noise I have a headache whenever we get to destination. Don't recall ever riding in a hardtop, are they as loud and uncomfortable as the soft top?

 

[Gary in MD]

W

I don't like the canvas roof and sides, they make so much noise I have a headache whenever we get to destination. Don't recall ever riding in a hardtop, are they as loud and uncomfortable as the soft top?

Wife had a 2011, four door with hard and soft tops. We kept the hard top on it mostly. It was a lot quieter.
She liked it but it was way under powered as far as I was concerned.

 

[Albany Mountain]

They work Great!!!

 

[JFrank]

When you live on a mountain in Montana, your Jeep is a tool. And some days the only tool for the job, although they ride like crap and have lousy heaters I would have struggled without it.
When I moved and sold it to a guy in the Yaak I reminded him they are kinda squirrelly.
You can guess how that ended.

 

[GetReal]

I don't like the canvas roof and sides, they make so much noise I have a headache whenever we get to destination. Don't recall ever riding in a hardtop, are they as loud and uncomfortable as the soft top?

No. Quite nice. A single droplet of water did get through and hit me in the face when I was going through the car wash yesterday...

 

[riverside jeep]

Just wait a couple more weeks and get yourself a Toyota Hilux Champ 4WD, 2.4 Turbo Diesel manual trans for $12,000. Same price as a stripped down SXS!, I have my order form filled out waiting for them to land in the USA, I'm just afraid I may be waiting until never.

 

[AckleymanII]

Quote:

"I'm a mechanic and wouldn't recommend a jeep to anyone. What I've seen They are very problematic. People love them even with their problems though."

Those with ears, let them hear!

Older Tacoma vs newer ones is like comparing night and day

 

[GetReal]

Older Tacoma vs newer ones is like comparing night and day

2024 Taco is a Caddy Escalade vs. my current 2010, which got destroyed when the dude hit me.

Its what makes me look at the Jeep... much more a woods / hunting/ off road, shooting range vehicle.

I am deeply conflicted. My wife has a nice CR-V for trips and arohnd town. This would be more a trails, shooting range, 1 mile drive to work vehicle.

 

[GetReal]

W


She liked it but it was way under powered as far as I was concerned.

2024 ( picd above) has a 3.6 V6 and plenny of power for paved road and off road.

 

[Rat44]

Best hunting rig I have had was a 1970 Jeep Wagoneer.
Short and small enough to get to most places I wanted to drive to.
Have a '94 Wrangler now and its good for off road but short on space .
Known many people that had Toyotas and the same issues always was ride and fuel economy.
Two friends both recently sold their newer Tacoma's and Jeeps.
Way too many engine and electrical issues with both.
Jeep sat at dealers for months waiting on a part .
Seems to happen a lot with many newer vehicles lately.

 

[AWS]

I'm in the same boat, looking for a use 4x4 for hunting and fishing. I've been running a Ford E-150 van with positraction and it has been fine for the past 15 yrs, I have it set up with a bunk and furnace and gets me to 90% of anywhere I want to go. and I've spent up to 6 months of the year living in it, hunting and fishing..

I'm pushing 80 and last spring I spent a night stuck in the desert and had to wait till morning to unstuck myself(150 ft of recovery rope and 4 ton come along.) getting too old for that a 4x4 would have walked through the spot.

I need something I can sleep in and drive off without getting out of. I've whittled it down to a
.
1. Jeep Wrangler 4dr 2010 or 2011 JKU 3.8L
2. Jeep Cherokee XJ 4L (possibly a 4L Grand Cherokee)
3. Nissan 2015-2018 4dr P/U 4x4

I've owned a 56 Willy's wagon, 75 CJ-5 72, 74 Bronco so I've had some experience with old 4x4's

Any thoughts

 

[CorkyM]

Back in my younger days when I hunted on the mountain with my buddy, he had an old Willys Jeep pick up that we used to drive over the field and up the log road to our hunting spots. It was a good vehicle to throw the deer in the back bed. Recently my son and I hunted the same mountain and fields with his Jeep limited edition Call Of Duty. It’s still running with about 150,000 miles on it. Never needed many repairs but the top leaked and even the hard top near the front. He plans to keep it for the time being.

 

[GetReal]

Recently my son and I hunted the same mountain and fields with his Jeep limited edition Call Of Duty. It’s still running with about 150,000 miles on it. Never needed many repairs but the top leaked and even the hard top near the front. He plans to keep it for the time being. View attachment 1733852

What year ?

 

[K9TXS]

I had a 2005 Tacoma for a long time, it was not 4WD. Didn't drive it a lot since I had company car and was on call a lot. In 2015 I retired the second time and bought a new Wrangler. Even though it was a 4 door, it had very little cargo room. I removed the backseat and added a plywood deck. Driving from the Houston Texas are to Oregon was a tough drive. Two people and lots of hunting gear the rear area was totally full. The best mileage the jeep would get was around 16 on the open road going down hill.

Bought another Tacoma in 2020 in 4WD and still have it. I can get 23, 24 mpg on the open road and 20 mpg in town. It will hall all my hunting stuff and have a little room left over. Will not own another jeep.

 

[CorkyM]

What year ?

I believe it’s a 2012. This photo of one of our trips to the Broad Mountain in Carbon County, Pa. was taken two years ago.

 

[jxb]

In a word NO. I have a pickup and a '21 JLUR and while the jeep is great at what it's good for, it won't replace my pickup for hunting season. Just not enough room if you're hauling camp and I like that I can put a whole elk in the back of the pickup if I want.